Sports:

A story that Notre Dame Heisman finalist Manti Te'o's girlfriend had died of leukemia turned out to be a hoax apparently perpetrated against the linebacker. The university says someone using a fictitious name "apparently ingratiated herself" with Te'o, then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had died of leukemia. T'eo says he developed an emotional relationship with a woman he met online and maintained that relationship through computers and phones.

Terone Johnson scored 18 points to lead four Purdue players in double figures, and the Boilermakers turned back Nebraska's comeback bid in the second half to defeat the struggling Cornhuskers 65-56 last night. Nebraska, playing without senior forward Brandon Ubel for a second straight game, have lost their first five conference games for the second time in four seasons. Shavon Shields had 18 points and eight rebounds and Jordan Tyrance added ten points and seven rebounds for the Huskers, who cut a 20-point deficit to five in the second half. Purdue is now 9-8 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten while Nebraska drops to 9-9 overall and 0-5 in the conference.

The Northeast Hawks men’s basketball team ran into a buzz saw last night. The tenth ranked in Division I Indian Hills Warriors of Iowa routed the Hawks last night at the Cox Activities Center 120-89. Jelan Kendrick led eight players in double figures for the Warriors with 22 points and six rebounds. Northeast was led by Sean Scott’s 19 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. He led four players in double figures as Khapri Alston added 18 points, blocked two shots, and had two steals. Teammate KJ Bluford netted eleven points and Oral Rahming had ten. Indian Hills led 61-35 at halftime. The Warriors improve to 18-2 and have won four games in a row while the Hawks lost their second game in a row and fall to 13-7.

Friday Evening: The Norfolk High boys basketball team goes to Omaha Burke at 7:15. Pregame coverage at approximately 6:55 on Newstalk WJAG 105.9 FM & WJAG.com.

Kwifax:

Gum trees are better known as Eucalyptus trees

News Briefs:

Warm weather brought out a large crowd for the first day of the Northeast Nebraska Farm and Equipment Show. The 26th annual farm show, sponsored by NewsTalk WJAG and 106Kix radio, continues today in the Chuck M. Pohlman Ag Complex at Northeast Community College. Hours today are 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Door prize winners yesterday included Pat Jensen of Stanton, winner of 250 gallons of diesel fuel from Zoubek Oil; Terry Preister of Humphrey, whose name was drawn to receive 100 gallons of propane from Diamond Oil; and Kent Kruger of Randolph, who will receive a $75 gift certificate to Bomgaars courtesy of Frontier Bank of Norfolk and Madison. Organizers will draw more door prize winners today.

Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska says she opposes a plan to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan next year. She's just back from a trip to the region. Some Obama administration officials have signaled the U.S. might leave no troops in the country after December 2014. But others have said they are considering leaving as many as 15,000.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman says he wants feedback from the agriculture community on the tax proposal plan he introduced during his State of the State address. The governor pitched his tax plan Wednesday to the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska, a group of farming and agribusiness leaders, at a luncheon in downtown Lincoln.

Gov. Dave Heineman is recommending that Nebraska buy a 12-year-old airplane for $2.2 million to replace another aircraft in its fleet. Heineman's budget proposal to lawmakers includes a request from the state Department of Aeronautics for a new back-up plane, which serves as transportation for the governor, agency heads and other officials in state government. The department says the new plane would replace a 1982 Piper Cheyenne aircraft that is no longer manufactured.

A Senate panel will hold a confirmation hearing January 31st on Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary. The top Republican on the Armed Services Committee -- Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma -- says he will oppose the nomination of the former Republican senator from Nebraska.

Nebraska prisoners and jail inmates would have to provide a $10 co-payment for non-emergency health care each time they request it, under a new bill in the Legislature. Senator Tyson Larson of O'Neill proposed a measure yesterday that would require county jails to deduct the payment from inmates' personal accounts. Inmates who have less than $10 would lose half of each new deposit until the payment was covered.

An Omaha police officer is dead after suffering a medical emergency and collapsing while working out at his gym. The Omaha Police Department says 42-year-old Torrey Gulley was rushed to Methodist Hospital from the gym around 10 a.m. yesterday. Medics performed CPR, but were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Today's Tickler:

I took the road less traveled, and now my car needs front-end alignment